Early Access games are a very interesting topic of debate, as, on the one hand, it is great to be able to play a game well ahead of launch, but it can be a challenge for the developers to make that 1.0 release actually worth it. In the case of Path of Exile 2, the game has practically fast-tracked its way to launch, with the full launch releasing a couple of days after the second Early Access anniversary. The exit marks the addition of the Duelist class, an overhaul of the endgame, and the last two story acts, which should close out the narrative people have been waiting to conclude for some time.
The question remains, though, whether this 1.0 launch will actually mean something to those who have already experienced almost all of the game’s existing content. Path of Exile 2 is obviously an enormous game with a lot of variety and grinding to get through, yet after being out for close to two years, it is hard to convince those existing players to jump back in. If the final few pieces of content are big enough, then virtually everyone from newcomers to veterans will be happy, but if the release doesn’t provide a meaningful step forward, then it begs the question as to why the game was in Early Access for as long as it was, albeit much shorter than many others.
Path of Exile 2’s 1.0 Launch Needs To Mean Something
Steam Early Access has been around for over 10 years, and in that time, there have been thousands of games that have found their developmental footing and launched with huge success. For Path of Exile 2, we have been able to explore the fantastical world and the mind-boggling skill tree for quite some time now, and after several major updates to the looting systems, story, and character progression, it does feel as though all the components are there and that the 1.0 launch couldn’t be coming at a better time. And now that the price tag is being taken away, more players than ever are going to be able to give it a try in its most complete form.
However, like any other Early Access game, the biggest hurdle isn’t the initial release or the development cycle leading up to 1.0, but that final barrier that can be the make-or-break for even the most compelling titles. The dilemma that all these talented devs need to overcome is to convince those previous buyers and players that the full launch is actually worth their time, and not just another update that doesn’t really add a whole lot of value to the game. Those players will look at what’s being added, from the story to the mechanics, and make a judgment as to whether they want to keep going, or if they have effectively exhausted the content that existed prior to 1.0.
Path of Exile 2 is obviously an enormous game with a lot of variety and grinding to get through, yet after being out for close to two years, it is hard to convince those existing players to jump back in.
Also, if someone bought Path of Exile 2 back in 2024, say, and really disliked it from the get-go, and you then come out and say that the gameplay and combat have been elevated, the looting is more rewarding, and the narrative is now finished, then there is still no guarantee that the negative opinion they formed 20+ months ago is going to be any different. Then there’s the existing communities, who may have cleared vast chunks of the game together, but then by the time the content is polished and ready to go, some of them may have broken up or moved onto other games, with no interest in returning later on.
All of these issues are not exclusive to Path of Exile 2, as there are countless other Early Access RPGs that all had to go through this same process on their own, with varying degrees of success on the other side. Some managed to weather the storm and keep the hype going all the way past the 1.0 launch, while others fizzled out and died, struggling to hold the attention of their respective communities and ultimately fading into obscurity. There is obviously a big spectrum in between, and where Path of Exile 2 will land is unclear, but the point is that escaping Early Access is far trickier than just removing the text on the Steam page.
Not All Early Access RPGs Are The Same
There have been several other Early Access RPGs that serve as perfect examples of how different the market can be. Games like Enshrouded and Witchfire are both scheduled for release later in 2026, and they have had a steady stream of content that has kept people coming back ever since they first hit the shelves. And, there has also been a lot of transparency around the final content pieces, with sweeps of content scheduled for each game including story endings, QoL changes, and gameplay additions that many players have been asking for over the past few years.
The future looks bright for these two very distinct RPGs, but the same cannot be said for every Early Access title. Project: Gorgon for instance, an MMORPG that had been in Early Access since 2018, struggled to find an audience during that long development period, but had a decent launch at the start of 2026 that saw the game hit all-time player counts for at least a week. Afterward, though, the excitement seemed to dwindle significantly, which, for a multiplayer-focused title, is an incredibly dangerous thing that cannot be undone with just a couple of extra content additions.
It is perfectly normal to have these significant drop-offs as content is added and players get through it, yet the challenging part is retaining that attention and giving them an actual reason to keep playing or even just log in again after a long break. That’s the position that Path of Exile 2 is currently in, and the devs have made the decision to go forward with the 1.0 and leave the safety of Early Acess behind. That means the full game has to be both complete and include enough polish and content for existing players to sink their teeth into, as otherwise, the wait basically only served the players who never bought the game in the first place.
For long-time players of a game, there is nothing worse than having a big buildup to a major launch or a huge update, and then it being underwhelming and far below the expectations that were laid out prior. I think that the Path of Exile 2 full release is shaping up to be pretty good overall, with the story acts being the main addition that most players are going to be looking forward to, as well as the late-game revisions that should satiate those hardcore grinders. Although it is hard to say whether someone with hundreds of clocked hours in Early Access will feel the same excitement as a new player, and if it isn’t, then Grinding Gear Games may find themselves with a much less impressive launch than they were hoping for.
Path of Exile II
9/10
- Released
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December 11, 2026
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Nudity, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Language, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
